Kiss hails Ulster’s powerful response

ULSTER director of rugby Les Kiss hailed his side’s second-half power show which secured a 39-32 win over pool five leaders Clermont and kept European Champions Cup qualification hopes alive.

But Kiss also had to admit that some of the shine was taken off Ulster’s bonus-point victory as the French outfit still managed to make off with two losing bonus points to stay in control of the group ahead of the return match a week today.

Ulster led 22-18 after a dramatic first half during which the lead changed hands several times and then stretched that advantage to 39-18 just before the hour.

However, Clermont came roaring back into the game and scored 14 unanswered points to come away with a try bonus and losing bonus point.

“From a performance perspective it was brilliant,” said Kiss, after Ulster had scored five tries with Luke Marshall claiming a brace to put them second ahead of today’s other pool game.

“There were a lot of good things in terms of the outcome but parts of the process were a little bit disappointing as we let ( Wesley) Fofana have too much room in that first half.

“That kind of momentum which let them stay in the game was disappointing but I thought in the second half we addressed that and came out and really turned up in that area.

“It was pleasing that the boys were prepared to back themselves.”

Clermont came back into the game with 14 unanswered points in the last 20 minutes to nail their two bonus points.

“The last 15 or 20 minutes I wouldn’t have agreed with all Wayne Barnes’ penalty decisions but that’s what it was and we weren’t good enough to stem that,” said Kiss.

Clermont’s Nick Abendanon, who scored one of the French side’s four tries, admitted that although losing the game was far from ideal, the two points were a decent enough return.

“We needed to come away with points and we got two, though we would have preferred to win,” he said.

“Last year we didn’t get the bonus points and we left the competition early so we had to get the points (here). Now we’re looking forward to the next game with them.

“The last 15 minutes, I thought that we might have actually come away with four points (a draw looked on) but I thought it was still a fantastic game of rugby.”